Nanashi
by Falstaf
Summary: Naruto returns from three years of absence. Now 19 and the very best ANBU has to offer, he is reunited with his old comrades. But what lies underneath the underneath?


He ran through the streets of Kumo, darkness surrounding him in the middle of the night. Naruo was dressed in rags, like a beggar. He always thought it made the best of disguises.

He fliped and crawled fro shadow to shadow in an astounding acrobatic display. His sharp hearing caught the ruffle of clothes heading his way, and he quikly slid into a shadow while going prone. Five Kumo ANBU flew overhead, oblivious to his presence. He continued on his tealthy sprint to the southeast corner of the city about four seconds later. His clothes made very little noise while running upwind, and his footsteps, even while gong very fast, made even less. Two guards were stationed to the entrance up ahead, and he intended to bypass them completely. 

He made seven handseals and a gentle smoke odorless poured from his mouth and surrounded the the target building.

It was the first timethe two chuunin at the front noticed that something was odd. It was the last odd thing they would ever notice, as two throwing knives lodged themselves in their temples. Naruto sprinted as pickup up the bodies, making two shadow clones and henge to replace them as the smoke began to dissipate. He layed the two just inside the building, where his prior survielance told him that no one would be on guard. He never broke his pace. 

Dashing down the hallways an checking every room, he finally found his target. His name was Ayuma, a Kumo councilman and renound former shinobi. Ayuma was praised as the head of the council, and beloved to Kumo because of his economic policies which brought Kumo into a golden age. So natually, Konoha was a little upset. 

Kumo had gained a great amount of wealth in the last few years, enough that coud support deployment of ninja. This could not be allowed. Konoha would not allow it. So they sent him, Naruto. The rag clad Jounin specialized in this type of thing...

He looked aound the corner using a Kunai blade's reflection, and pulled it back just as quick. Two Jounin outside the hallway...they coud not have made it any easier to locate Ayuma.

'_Ninja these days...so arrognt and predictable, favoring jutsu over the true ninja arts...'_ He thought.

'_I guess I didn't use to be much different up untill a while ago._'

The nineteen year old flew into an adjacent room around the corner and ducked under the window as a contigent of shinobi flew by...

'_Fools...'_

He opened the window, slid out, and verically sprinted to the top of the building.

He caught sight of a Jounin patrolling the rooftop and slowly snuck up behind him.

He drew his ninjato that was strapped upside down (hilt pointing down and to left right leg). He preferred this weapon above the normal Katana. Hilts were a drawback as a ninja, and reach was just not as effective on a sword when you could simply throw a knife...no...he preffered this weapon above all his others. He jabbed downwards, penetrating the area where his shoulder met his neck, and peirced his heart. Breaking ribs were messy and noisy, but is he avoided them alltogether, it was a rather clean kill. 

He dragged the corpse to the edge of the building, where the solid railing would cover his body from passing glances. He replaced that Jounin with a doppleganger aswell.

He then set up what he liked to call plan B. Throwing about seven senbon with wire attached, he rigged the entire building to blow due to the massive amount of explosive notes attached to said wire. Now for plan A...

Picking up another sound, he ducked, pressing himself against the fresh corpse. 

"Sinuta, report" Said the cat masked ANBU. If he would have payed more attention, he would have seen the corpse just right under his nose...literally...

"All clear" Replyed 'Sinuta' with a thumbs up.

Cat quickly jumped off the solid railing and vanished into a group of ANBU who were begining to move again.

Naruto stopped holding his breath and waited untill the ANBU contingent left. Security was extremely tight tonight, thanks to his other objective's being completed...

He hooked his legs onto the railing and lowered himself down to where the target's room was and creeped next to the window...

There he was, in all his glory, asleep in front of his desk. He would applaud such a work ethic were the man not about to die. 

Opening the window and acrobatically flipping through it nd ino a roll, he placed four explosive notes, noting that hey were his last, on the entrance to the room. He then unsheathed his ninjato once more and got to work.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Elsewhere in Kumo a meeting was underway between the Hokage and the Kumo ANBU commander.

"DAMMIT!" The Raikage shouted as his hands slammed down on his desk.

"I' sorry Raikage-sama, but we still don't ave any leads on the recent attacks" Said the commander, in reply to his leader's show of rage.

"How can this happen!" Continued the Raikage. "First it was our food supply, then our water was poisened!

Then it was our own dammed academies that were targeted, with students STILL RESIDING IN THEM!" Raged the Raikage.

"Our civilians are rioting, thanks to lack on food and water! And the next generation of ninja have been cut by HALF! We can't recover from this catastrophe as it is...! I want the animal who is responsible, and I want just his HEAD! WE CANNOT AFFORD TO KEEP LOSING OUR RESOUCES LIKE THIS! It will take us YEARS to recover as it is!" Finished the Raikage.

Taking that as his sign to leave and re-double his patrols and efforts, the commander was about to shunshin to his base to relay the orders. That is, untill the South East corner of the city suddenly lit up like a chirstmass tree and all hell broke loose.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

For Naruto, the fun part was over. Now came the REALLY fun part, the part that made him feel alive, that made him pump battery acid through his veins and made his soul SCREAM.

Now, after sotring Ayuma's head in a scroll and detnating his demolitions, he fled at top speed and utilizing his stleath. ANBU were after him, and he wanted to see another day.

"STOP!" The ANBU captain shouted, conveing handsignals to his men. In the month Naruto has hidden himself in Kumo, he was glad that he picked up on their variation of sign language. It helped to make them predictable. 

Of course, he didn't stop.

Using his forward momentum, he flipped through the air untill at the pinnacle where he was upside down and facing behind his movement, he unleashed four throwing knives, aimed for the positions the captain had singlaed his men to get into. The captain had to see his unit die in front of his eyes from the simp[lest execution of moves hed ever seen. Simple...but incredibly effective. He did not falter in his pursuit though. Instead, he went into hand seals.

"Doton: Doryugan"! He shouted, as a dragon made of terracotta rose from the rooftops. 

Naruto smirked, landed, and continued running forward, the terracotta dragon hot on his heels. He then stopped at the break of two buildings and dissapeared into the darkness, the powerfull but inpercise jutsu flying harmlessly overhead. 

'_Tch, that was even worse then the last ANBU unit that tried to catch me_' Naruto thought, remembering his close call two weeks ago when he demolished the four academies of Kumo in broad daylight...while classes were being held.

He had, after another minute of running, encountered the wall of Kumo. Not unlike Konoha, is was mad of woode. Unlike Konoha, it wasn't one solid peice. 

After a particularly explosive Katon jutsu, he emerged from the insde of Kumo, embers trailing his movements. He neer stopped, never looked back. His objectives were all completed and h was looking forward to some vacation time from this Triple S ranked mission. But first, he had to make Kumo lose his trail. He was confident, yes, but he wasn't a fool. Naruto merely caught Kumo off-guard...again...and they would regroup with startling numbers when they managed to find out what he had done. He smirked to himself, as he realized that when his guerilla like terrorism on the city stopped, they would be uming mad that only one shinobi was responsible. They would be even more furious when they didn't even know that one shinobi's identity or the villae he belonged to. Nothing mixed more badly than anonimity and raw seathen hatred.

He materialized about 28 shadow clones, and mentally signaled them to run distraction. Kumo would be chasing his clones for days on end before they figured out what they were.

'_Home eh...?_' He thought '_Havn't been home in 3 years..._' He thought, as he struggled to even remember the faces of his comrades, of his friends.

He had been in Kumo for only a month, but it had been several years since he had to go back to Konoha for a mission. The scroll drop locations told him he was to finally report back after the Kumo mission...

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nine days later, Naruto found himself at the South gates. 

He shed his vagabond clothes after the Kumo mission and was now dressed in his usual gear. He wore black sandals and loose fitting pants, connected to each other by a system of leather straps and clips, making them look like one piece of clothing instead of two. He wore his bone grey tight shirt, with one right forearm protector and a bare left one. Gloves adorned his hands, ringed at every finger with the tips cut off at the second knuckle and large grey backplates. He wore no body armour except forhis forehead protector, which was ironically forged into a square plate and sewn into his shirt over the heart. His favorite weapon, his ninjato, tapped upside down to his back (once again, hilt facing his right foot, shar end pointing to his left shoulder.

All this was concealed however, by his dark and tattered cloak (the ones ANBU wear).

His body had changed over the years as well. Gone were the chubby cheeks and spiky urchin hair. He stood at 5'11", sleek and toned. He body definately did not seem that athletic at first glance. However, his lithe and limber form would set off alarm bells in any shinobi's head. His hair was much shorter than it had been, looking sharp, clean, and proffessional. All ANBU had a tatoo, but Naruto's was different. His was placed under his left eye, on his cheek. He also sported a single earing eerily similar to Orochimaru's.

For all his training and experience, his only price to be paid was the long, rather thin scar srething from just above his left eye, to just below it, never reaching his tatoo. He had been careless when one of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist had slashed through his ANBU mask. He never did chooses an animal, leaving it completely blank. He preffered it that way.

Needless to say, the guards at the gate gave him little trouble when he removed his facemask. Identity confirmed, he made his was to the tower and reported to the Hokage.

Knocking on the door, he heard Tsunade all but yell "ENTER".

She had stopped using her genjutsu about a year ago. She didn't really look all that old to Naruto anyway. Just a little bit of frown lines and a not so exagerated chest...

This was his favorite perk about being an ANBU. He worked directly for the Hokage, and that meant...no paperwork...

Tsunade regarded the blank mas ANBU in front of her with a small smile. Their relationship as surrogate son and mother had not deteriorated, no matter how long Naruto was away. 

"Nanashi, I wasn't expecting you back for atleast another two months. Everything go well?" she asked, not breaking her smile.

"All targets have been eliminated and all objective completed.." he stated as he unfurlled the scroll containing Ayuma and several other's heads unto Tsunades desk "...One hundred percent completio rate, Hokage-samma" Naruto siad as he smirked under his mask. Tsunade own smile glinted a little as she replied "As expected of our top ANBU, Nanashi..."

No name...a fitting codename for one who is not supposed to be identified.

Naruto removed his mask and smiled at his leader for the praise.

"So how about that vacation you promised me, Tsunade?" 

"Hah, well, all in due time, Naruto." She said, finally getting a little serious but only slightly dropping her smile.

"Like you requested, we've assigned you to a Jounin team for three months...I swear Naruto your the only shinobi I have that considers an A rank mission a vacation" She commented, sitffling a laugh. She was very proud of Naruto. He really was ANBU's top agent, even if she was the only person who knew that. And for a reward, she had arranged a little something for him.

"Well, truth be told, I kind of ant to work with a team for a little bit. You know, pass on the teachings of the great Nanashi and all" he said with a smirk.

"Well, your Jounin team is actually training right now. You can meet them today if you want. They are actually looking forward to meeting with you after I told them your mission records."

Taking his que to leave and meet his new team, he was halfway out the door when she mentioned that they train at Training Field Seven. He shivered a little bit, knowing all too well the curse that field has brought to any ninja cell. There was always a traitor on team seven, Naruto could tetify to that himself. Whoever used that training ground now either had a screw loose or huge balls.

He frowned a little.

I really hope he didn't stick me with them for the next thre months...

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kakashi yawned, watching his one-time students spar..it was more like a lovers quarrel really. Sakura had grown into a real beauty, with pink locks flowing down to the middle of her back. She wore what she always wore, ony with a Jounin vest over it. He remembered the good old days when they were just cute genin. When Naruto was still around...

Kakashi broke his train of thought when the subject of Naruto came up. He always believed Naruto would be able to do great things, but as a teacher, he had failed him. He didn't like to be reminded of that fact, or the fact that no one has sen him in years...or the fact that no one besides Tsunade even knows where his missions are...

He turned his attention to the spar when Sasuke managed to land a spar ending blow by tapping his kunai against Sakura's neck. If he remembered correctly, that Sakura:112, Sasuke: 142. He was proud of Sasuke for changing his ways by coming back, even if Narto had to drag his battered body back here by himself. Although, it can be given some credit that Sasuke actually stayed. The two were dating now, ever the picture perfect couple in the eye's of their peers. It did sadden him, however, when he recalled the two had never mentioned Naruto even once since his return and their eventual coupling. He had feared he was the only one left that remembered their blond haired teammate.

Breaking his train of thought again, were his two teammates staring at him oddly...it wasn't every day that Kakashi stared off into space, instead of his orange book.

"Anything the matter, Kakashi?" Sakura asked with curiousity more than concern. Both had sopped adressing Kakashi as his sensie whent hey became Jounin...it was actually Kkashi's idea. He never did like the suffix attached to his name.

"Hnn, he knows something we don't" Said Sasuke, with a pleasent smirk over his lips. He really had changed his attitude. Kakashi figured Naruto must have shown him what real power is to humble him this much, another point in which Kakashi was gratefull to Naruto.

Much to Tsunade's chagrin, Sasuke still wore the clothes Orchimaru had conditioned him to fight in. He hated his Jounin vest with a passion. In his defense though, he rather liked the mobility that his outfit provided, if a little overdon with the iant rope and all. 

"Well, there s something I know that you don't" Kakashi chimed in, eye upturned in a smile.

Both less experienced Jounin stared at Kakashi in anticipation.

"We are recieving a new member within the next onth or two!" He chirped.

The others groaned.

"Thats it?" Sasuke said dissmissively. "No one can really keep up with us, you know that Kakashi. Thats why every new member we get either dies on missions or just plain transfers" It was true. Bt then again, such is the fate of Konoha's most elite Heavy Assualt and Assassination cell.

"Maaaaaa" Kakashi drawled out "but this one is different. This newcomer comes from ANBU."

Both Jounins returned their attention to their once-teacher, now mildly intrigued.

"And not just any ANBU! This specific shinobi hs a battle, confirmed kill, and completion rating that excees my own back in the day I was in ANBU myself."

"Tshhh, an old geezer?" Sakura rudely interrpted

"Nope, hes actually your age!"

Now THAT was impressive. Sasuke and Sakura were very intrigued. Kakashi had a better record than even Sasuke's acursed brother. Itachi, while he was very young and in ANBU, was only IN IT for about a year or so before his defection. Kakashi actually had the best record from ANBU. It appears his record was broken.

"So does Mr.ANBU have a name?" Sakura asked.

"Well, I was only given his codename and his facemask description..." Kakashi said, coming to a slow stop in his speech. He saw a person walk into the training field with Sasuke and Sakura's backs turned to him. He would not een had noticed the stranger if not that he wasn't trying to hide. He then noticed the facmask and was pleasently plotting a good introduciton.

"So are you going to tell us or what?" Sasuke asked, growing impatient after Kakashi's long pause.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Naruto walked into the training field, and was assualted by familiar scents, familiar faces...he sighed to himself...

'_This cell huh? Figures the old lady would put me with these sorry excuses for shinobi...at least I have Kakashi though..._'

He walked on up to his two old teammates and his teacher, only the latter seeming to notice him. He wondered if the other two were that incompetent. Then he realized that even though he was relaxed and carefree at the moment, he was still subconciously hiding his presence...he figured a few years behind enemy lines performing assassinations and subterfuge would do that to you. He caught the glint in his old teacher's eye and knew what to do.

He walked right behind the two and waited for his cue...

"Why don't you ask him his name yourelves?" Kakashi said with a chippy voice, motioning his head for the two Jounins to trun around. 

"Yo!" Said Naruto, raisng his left hand.

Sakura shrieked, and Sasuke glared at the faceless mask.

"Welcome to the team, Nanashi!" Kakashi said.

"Heh, welcome eh?" Naruto said

Somewhere in the back of his mind, Kakashi could swar he recognized a softer, younger versio of that voice. But he couldn't quite place it. 

"Tchh, a stealth specialist. Figures, thats the only way you would ever beat Kakashi's record." Sasuke said in an openly mocking voice.

Naruto squinted his eyes behind his mask a little.

"Koi! Be nice!"

'_Koi?_' Naruto caught. He couldn't believe it. He knew they were a couple...hell its why he left in the first place. He returned now and he thought he could handle it. But, to be so opn about their relatioship to someone they didn't even know...kind of...angerd him. It takes a LOT to anger him...

He unconsciously clenched his fists.

He knew the pain of loss all too well, the pai of being passed off, underestimated, the pain of having someone who you loved choose another over you...someone who she thought was better...

Yes, he knew that all too well...

He hated that feeling, and while time away has killed his feeling for her a little,it did not extinguish the flame completely. He still loved her ona romantic level, whether he conciously admitted it or not.

He forcibly calmed himself.

"So 'No Name', care to remove your mask and give us your real name?' Ssuke all but ordered.

Naruto hated when people assumed they had command over him. He reported directly to the Hokage, no one else. Thats how he prefferred it.

"Where I was trained, we only revealed our names to comrades after our first spar within the cell, bastard." Naruto drawled and let slip his old nickname.

"Don't call me that! The only person who ever called me that isn't in this village anymore, and you have no right to assume his place, even as annoying and weak as he was." Sasuke fumed.

"Hes right though, Sasuke. Why don't you two have a go and we can introduce eachother later?" Kakashi said, difusing the situation. He was familir with the ANBU blackops custom after all. It was a team building exercize. It was supposed to represent that the only way anyone would learn your identity was if it was a trusted competent comrade...or death...

"Tsh, I'll drop him in two flat". Sasuke said as both him and 'nanashi' walked into the middle of the clearing.

"Don't be too rough Sasuke-koi! I don't want to have to heal him too much today!" Sakura said, cheering Sasuke on.

There it was again. As the two faced off, Naruto found himself unable to controll his rage anymore, seeping chakra from his body and forming a blue aura.

Sasuke smirked.

"Looks like this one isn't all stealth after-all" He sneered, and charged.

Sasuke let oose a flurry of punches towards Nanashi, who expertly dodged. Both Kakashi and Sakura were a litle worried. Sasuke was fast, and to dodge all his punches that efficiently, took a LOT of skill. Niether Kakashi or Sakura possesed that much skill, but...

Nanashi broke Sasuke's combo's by delivering a jab to his left shoulder blade, hitting a pressure point and dissabling it.

"You fight like a genin, straight on. You havn't changed at all you foolish bastard."

Sasuke seethed, He was going full speed, attempting to end it quickly, only to come out of the exchange with a useless left arm that hung limply by his side. To top it off, he called him a bastard...AGAIN! While he had no love for the person who called him that last, he did have some semblence of respect for his power. This idiot was attempting to say his power was above Narutos...above his...he started to unlock his cursed seal into level one.

"Sakura, get ready to step in. We might have to stop this." Kakashi said, alarmed. Nanashi must have really gotten under Sasuke's skin to prooke the curse seal. Even Kakashi could barely stand his own against Sasuke when he used that...

Angrier and angrier Sasuke got.

"Its just like you, Uchiha, to fester in your own hatred" he said, calmly walking to him, closing the expanse "and be blinded bya cloud of red, a shen on stupidity and ignorance." Nanasi finished, about 20 yards away from Sasuke.

Sasuke couldn't take anymore. This idiot in front of him pretended like he KNEW him. He started hand seals.

"Shibata!" Kakashi said as he attempted to sprint to stop the fight. Sasuke was starting the seal for his Chidori enhanced Kusanagi technique. He dully noted he could never stop the exhange in time.

Sasuke drew his sword and charged at Nanashi with blinding speed.

Nanashi looked shocked for a moment, and a moment is all Sasuke needed as he rammed his legthened lightning sword through Nanashi's stomache, intending to kill. 

"Tsch, all talk" Sasuke said as he powered down his curse seal and Nanashi fell over, run through by the lightning blade. 

Kakashi and Sakura's sprint paused. This was NOT good.

All of a sudden, and much toe Kakashia nd Sakura's relief and Sasuke's shock, Nanashi melted into a thin black smoke.

Sasuke's eye widened.

"Is this the best you can offer?" Asked Nanashi behind Sasuke.

Before Sasuke turned, Nanashi used the flat side of his ninjato to slap Sasuke's neck. It wouldn't kill or cut, but it would leave one hell of a red mark and a sting...

"Match, over." Nanashi stated, matter-of-factly.

Sasuke, though fuming, ws shocked. Sakura and Kakashi were aswell. It wasn't every day that someone beat the supposedly most powerfull member of the best team in Konoha.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Hatake Kakashi. My likes are my former students and comrades, my dislikes are unloyalty, dreams for the future...and my hobbies are rather unique." Kakashi said, introducing himself in the cirlce formed by his team plus one.

"Haruno, Sakura. My likes are my boyfriend, Sasuke, and practicing medicine. My dislikes are people who run their mouths. Dreams for the future? I guess I want to be even better at medical jutsu then even my teacher, Tsunade-sama. My hobbies are none of your business." Saura stated, every once in a while looking towards Sasuke.

Naruto, at this point, was extremely angry.

Uchiha Sasuke. My likes are Sakura and jutsu. My dislikes include my brother, whom I have vowed to kill...my dream is to one day be Hokage..." at this point, Naruto BARELY schooled his features in time to sheathe his sword. Kakashi noticed all these little discrepencies as well and was growing a litle caustious now. Not all ANBU were all tat sane after-all..."...my hobbies are also none of your business."

It was painfully clear to Naruto that both Sasuke and Sakura's hobbies involved screwing the other...he couldn't help but to be quite for a few moments to school his features and cal himself down. He would have to blow off some steam later...

Nanshi abruptly stood up and reoved his cloak, showing his underlying clothig to the group. Nanshi figured he cloak was part of ANBU uniform as well as his mask, and since he was decommissioned for the next three months, he wouldn't need them.

He threw a single throwing knife at Kakashi's feet, alarming the other two.

'_A thowing knife huh? So he prefers accuracy over the strength of a kunai_' Thought Kakashi, understanding the old ANBU custom.

"Although my record and experience on the field out does your own, I was no experience leading a squad. So you are the leader of this cell, Taichou" He said seriously while kneelng in front of Kakashi and cut his palm on the knife.

"My blood is on our hands, Kakashi." He said in a full kneel o respect.

Kakashi cut his palm on the kife as well.

"As is mine on yours" Kakashi replied ending the custom while Nanashi pocketed the knife.

"Codename Nanashi" Nanashi stated, much to the chagrin of Sakura and Sasuke who wanted to know his real name. "My likes are training. I live to fight and I fight to live. For the glory of Konoha will my blade peirce, will I be peirced. My dislikes are the newest generation of shinobi, whom favor flashy, useless techniques." At this Sasuke interjected.

"What? Your our age, you ingrate."

Nanashi replied by shifting his head to face Sasuke.

"That maybe so, _boy_, but my experience speaks otherwise."

He faced forward again and continued.

"M dreams...I use to have one, but abandoned it...now I live for the great tree (Konoha). My hobbies...eating ramen and training..."

At this, several shocked faces could be seen on Team 7. 

"Nanashi..." Kakashi unsuredly asked "...Remove your mask and tell us your name..."

Naruto smirked.

He gripped his mask and yanked it off, revealing his face.

Kakashi was Schoked and happy, Sakura was confused, not recognizing the man before her, and Sasuke was just...glaring...

"My name, is Uzumaki Naruto...good to be back eh?" He said with a smirk, before plopping down into a lotus position, forearms resting on his knees and meeting the various reactions of Team 7 with a smirk.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Tchh, should have guessed it was you under there, only you would have the pure luck to land the blows you did." Sasuke said, a little calmer and somewhat...happy...though still absent mindedly rubbing the red mark on his neck...that sword slap hurt like hell.

"It is really nice to have you back Naruto." Kakashi said, sincerely. He vowed to make up his failures to Naruto anyway he could.

Sakura, just followed the three to the barbeque restaurant in a stupor. She hand't thought about Naruto...hadn't remembered him...since...well...she couldn't remember.

She registered the fat that they now sat down.

"So Naruto, hows life?" Kakashi asked while reading the menu. It had been a while since Sakura and Sasuke saw Kakashi so happy before. 

"Ah same old same old. Iv'e been doing missions via drop locations for the last thre years."

Kakashi understood he couldn't say what the missions were, ESPECIALLY if they were given via scroll drops.

"I did see a lot of the country though, exotic locations and all." He continued, a small smile forming.

"See the world they said, huh?" Kakashi asked. They both laughed, remembering the old recruitment line for ANBU. 'See the world, meet new people...then kill them...'. It wa somewhat of a dark joke amongst the ranks.

"Yah well, its done wonders for my tan." Ironic, because the mask he always wore for thee years made him quite a bit paler...hairincluded.

"How about you guys?" He asked.

Surprisingly, Sakura was the first to respond. She hadn' said a thing since her intoduction.

"N-Naruto, we really..." she didn't get a chance to finish because of of occupants of the next table.

"OI! Did someone say Naruto is back!" Boomed the voice of Chouji. '_Even his voice sounds fat_' Naruto thought.

Sure enough, team ten strode out of the booth next to them. 

"No kidding, where is the baka!" Asked Ino loudly trailed by Shikamaru and following Chouji. It figured they were here, they always ate...and drank...at this place.

Chouji abruptly stopped when he noticed the blond man int he booth with team seven. The abrupt stop resulted in Ino crashing into him and Shikamaru sighing and taking notice of the man. Ino regained her barings and regarded Naruto also.

The three of them went into a kneeling position when they noticed the tatoo on Naruto's face, denoting him as not only an ANBU, but a Grade Zero ANBU. The ELITE of the ELITE. They were almost REQUIRED to bow. 

"Heh, thats all right, you don't have to do that. We are all friends here, after-all." Said Naruo, a little embarassed at the attention. He knew the procedure, but no one had actually done it before to him. Not seeing Konoha shinoi without his facemask for three years didn't help.

They stood up and looed at each other vaguely.

"Do we know you?" Chouji asked.

A small sweat drop formed at the heads of team 7. Kakashi, Sakura, and Sasuke figured that barely anyone would recognize him. They barely did themselves.

"Its me, Naruto." He said, plainly.

Chouji and Shikamaru went wide eyed and Ino blushed like she hadn't blushed since she was 13.

They invited turned to eachother and back to him. Shikamaru spoke for them all when he said rather bluntly...

"Holy shit..."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After dinner at the restaurant and a lot of conversation...mainly on Naruo's part...they were about to say goodbye.

"Naruto, can I talk to you in private?" Kakshi asked, happy, but serious.

Naruto nodded and excused himself from the table to follw Kakashi into a corner.

There was an awkward silence.

"Naruto..." Kakashi said, in all seriousness "...I wanted to apologize. I wanted to apologize for no doing my best in teaching you. I know Jiraiya would be proud of the ninja ouv'e become, and I'll do my best to make it up to you."

Naruto smiled.

"Thanks Kakashi, that means a lot to me. But you don't have to repay me or anything. Whats done is done, and you never meant anything ill towards me. You can repay me by leading us like a true ninja can." He finished, the smile never leaving his face.

They both smiled and walked back to the table. 

"Well" Kakashi said "Iv'e got some errands to run, so I bd goodnight to you all. Team 7, training tommorrow at 9am sharp." He said and shunshined away.

"Heh, me an Chouji here gotta round up the guys and tell them whos come back. See ya around Naruto. Great to have you back with friends!" Sai Shikamaru as Chouji gave a happy nod and followed him outside.

Sasuke was next to leave simply saying "It's nice to have you back Naruto. Your replacements didn't live up to your reputation. Now maybe we can get some better missions." He said, leaving.

Sakura watched him go, and Naruto did not miss there eye contact. They were going to meet up later. 

Ino was left. She did all she could, and managed to fight down her blush to just a little tinge on her cheeks. 

Naruto had to admit, he thought Ino was perhaps the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. She had definately filled out well.

"So Naruto-kun..." She began, shocking Naruto with the term of endearment. "...A bunch of us from th old days are getting together at a bar tonight...I was wondering if...um...youd'e like to go with me?" She asked, blush coming back full circle.

He smirked. He knew it when a girl liked him or not. Experience..was a wonderfull thing. It gave hi the ability to tell a good thing from a bad thing. And Uzumaki Naruto, never passed up on a good thing. Not anymore.

"Sure Ino-chan." He said, grabbing her hand on the table and smiling gently. Ino's blush would rival the very definition of the color red for supremecy.

"It's a date then. Pick me up at the flower shop at 10pm sharp!" She chirped, happy over her victory. She then stood up, winking at Naruto, and then leaving, presumably to go prepare for their 'date'.

Sakura, at this point, was livid. She turned to Naruto who sat across the table from her, and let him know exactly what was on her mind by her glare. 

"What is it?" Naruto asked, knowing full well why she was mad. He also knew she had no right to be mad.

"You know damn well what..."Sakura said, slowly letting go of her anger an feeling saddness instead.

"..." He didn't respond.

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why did you LEAVE me dammit!" She finally shuoted, garnering the atention of the entire establishment.

She settled down and the rest of the patons eventually turned their heads away after her outburst, going back to ther own coversations.

"Well? I deserve to know, dont I?" She asked, calm but stern.

"You never loved me. You never valud me above _him_. The second he came back, you ran intohis arms like a lost puppy who found its mother." Naruto said, stoicly. Stoic on the outside, pain on the inside. Like his first kill...

"Wha..."

"I saw you and him Sakura..." he ineruppted

She shut up immediatly. She didn't know why his love life bothered her anymore. They were happy, a couple once. Then he brought Sasuke back. It was true, she did love Sasuke more. She always had. She couldn't help herself. She had cheated on Naruto left and right..it was really only a matter of time before he found out. She guessed i was only her injured pride that kept her confused and jealous over Naruto. But now, she felt ashamed. She was caught.

He started to stand up to leave.

"I really did love you, you know. I loved you more than anything I had ever loved before, probubly ever will love in the future..." he said, somberly.

Now she felt like shit. She knew what she did was wrong, she knew what she did was unacceptable, especially with Naruto. She toyed with him, with his feelings.

"...and...because I loved you that much..." standing, he leaned close to her "...I had to kill my heart..."

She could feel a tear start to form in her eyes.

"...I still love you, but at the same time, I will always hate you...do you understand that?" He asked.

"...yes..." She said.

She knew right then and there that he was gone. She had passed up a very good thing. The best thing. Better than Sasuke. Naruto...Naruto was always there for her, even when she never asked him to be. And now, hes a man. A man she can never have again. Suddenly, Sasuke doesn't seem so appealing anymore. Suddenly as her tears dropped to the empty table, she realized that she wsn't cheating on Naruto, she was cheating on herself...

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


End file.
